Certificate programs: graduate certificates

For those with bachelor's degrees in hand, enrolling in a master's program to learn one skill is like buying a whole meal just to get a few French fries. If you want to enhance your realm of expertise and advance your position or salary--especially if you plan to stay in your current career--consider a graduate certificate.

Online certificate programs offer cost-effective and flexible education for working adults. For instance, if you want to add value to your MBA, there are several beneficial online programs for MBA-holders that add focus through certificates, with emphases in information technology, marketing, or healthcare. Graduate certification programs in healthcare management, for example, make great sense for experienced factory or bank managers who want to transfer into hospital administration.

Career outlook for postsecondary-level certificate holders

In 2012-13, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that healthcare was the most common career credential at the postsecondary certificate level. Healthcare is projected to be the fastest growing industry in the U.S. through 2014, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Medical and health services managers are well-compensated for their education. The median annual salary in 2014 was $98,810.

By earning your graduate certificate online, you'll be on the road to career and salary advancement as quickly as your own pace will take you.